They are called “The Stallions” (Les Etalons in French) and they are best known for their turbulent past in the history of African football. The players of Burkina Faso’s national team presently work with manager Paulo Duarte under the control of the Fédération Burkinabé de Foot-Ball. The Stallions are among the world’s 100 best nations. They are precisely 62nd in the FIFA rankings.
The Stallions’ history – a blend of disappointments and successes
The first time they played in the Nations Cup was back in 1978. Then called the Upper Volta national team, the Stallions endured a miserable campaign in Ghana. They fell in Group A with the hosts. West African powerhouses Nigeria were also part of this section – leaving absolutely no chance for the Stallions to enjoy their first Cup of Nations competition.
Upper Volta lost the totality of their group stage games. The battering commenced with a 4-2 defeat to Nigeria. Zambia and Ghana then hit the Stallions with 2-0 and 3-0 defeats respectively. Upper Volta had to watch from afar as the Black Stars of Ghana went on to clinch their 3rd AFCON title.
More problems hit the team on and off the pitch. Like for the 1976 and 1980 editions or like during the 1957-1965 and 1984-1988 periods, the Stallions did not enter the tournament. They also withdrew from CAN 1994 during qualifying.
In 1996, they finally made their reappearance in the African Nations Cup. They featured in South Africa not as Upper Volta but as Burkina Faso. Unfortunately for their fans back home, the 1996 AFCON looked like a photocopy of their terrible 1978 campaign in Ghana. Burkina Faso fell to Sierra Leone, Zambia and Algeria in the group phase.
Understandably, the Stallions were considered as minnows across the African continent. But in attempt to develop football in the country, Burkina Faso earned the right to host the 21st edition of the African Cup of Nations. They seized this opportunity to experience their best ever run, up to date, in the competition.
They got revenge against Algeria on their way to the quarterfinals where they beat Tunisia in a dramatic penalty shoot-out. However, the authority of eventual crowned champions Egypt halted Burkina Faso’s crusade. The hosts had to settle for a fourth-place finish after losing to DR Congo on penalties in the third-place final.
From there, the Stallions successfully reached the following three editions but poor results saw them
crash out in Round 1. Burkina Faso failed to qualify for CAN 2006 and CAN 2008. They had better luck in the 2010 AFCON qualifiers but the main tournament once again proved too difficult.
Despite clinching a vital 0-0 draw against Cote d’Ivoire on the first Matchday, the Stallions collapsed against Ghana. They had no chance for redemption with a third group stage game as Togo’s deadly attack victim team withdrew from the competition in Angola.
Burkina Faso at the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations
The Stallions will have immense mountains to climb at the 2012 AFCON. They were lucky enough to come up against fairly weak sides during the qualifiers.
The caliber of the Namibians and the Gambians, whom the Stallions toppled en route to Gabon-Equatorial Guinea, cannot be compared to what Group B will present. Cote d’Ivoire, Sudan and Angola will test Burkina Faso’s tricky trait as underdogs.
Burkina Faso's 2012 AFCON squad is as follows:
Goalkeepers: Daouda Diakite, Moussa Sanou, Adama Sawadogo
Defenders: Ibrahim Gnanou, Bakary Kone, Paul Koulibaly, Saidou Panandetiguiri, Mamadou Tall
Midfielders: Wilfried Balima, Charles Kabore, Mahamadou Kere, Mohamed Koffi, Djakaridja Kone, Jonathan Pitroipa, Florent Rouamba, Bertrand Traore
Forwards: Aristide Bance, Moumouni Dagano, Prejuce Nakoulma, Issiaka Ouedraogo, Abdou Razak Traore, Alain Traore, Narcisse Yameogo
Read next team profile - Equatorial Guinea.
